I’ve heard about children attending school who have not been potty trained before.
Parents of children who are not potty-trained must come into their school to change nappies themselves, a council has warned.
The rule, which will be implemented when pupils go back to school for the new term on Monday, has been brought in because of the amount of time teachers are spending changing soiled nappies.
Luisa Munro-Morris, director of education at Blaenau Gwent council, South Wales, said the problem was ‘adversely impacting teaching and learning’.
Although I’ve spent much of my career teaching, I have never taught children. I have never wanted to, preferring willing adults. However, if I had chosen that path, I would not expect nappy changing to be a part of my role and I would not do it. Under any circumstance.
The only exception to the policy will be for children who are in nappies or pull-ups for medical reasons.
No, not even that one. My role is to teach, not wipe bums. End of. No discussion, no debate, no negotiation. Never.
Teaching unions back the move, but one father, whose three-year-old boy is a pupil, said it was ‘discriminatory’ and ‘unfair’.
Unfair that you are too bone idle and ignorant to teach your child how to use a toilet and expect others to literally clear up your shit? Fuck off you entitled tosser.
‘It is obviously a parent’s responsibility to potty train but my view, if you look at the literature, is that children hit their milestones at different ages,’ he added.
Yes. Well before school age.
The father also questioned the health and safety implications of leaving a child in a dirty nappy while waiting for a parent to arrive at school to change them.
If you did your job as a parent, it wouldn’t be necessary. I certainly wouldn’t be doing it under any circumstances.
But a recent poll of 1,500 parents by early years charity Kindred found almost 90 per cent felt children should not be allowed to begin lessons until they had learned such a basic skill.
Indeed. Just to put things into perspective, by the time I was five, I was pretty independent. Not only was I well out of nappies, I could read, write and do basic arithmetic.
“Unfair that you are too bone idle and ignorant to teach your child how to use a toilet and expect others to literally clear up your shit? Fuck off you entitled tosser.”
Nothing much to add to that really. Inadequate people who expect everyone else to compensate for them being so utterly useless at life.
I suggested they simply be banned from the classroom if not toilet trained, and was advised that that was impossible due to human rights legislation for the ‘protection’ of the disabled children.
Why does every single human rights legislation prioritise the unsocial or dangerous above everyone else?
If I was faced with it, I would down tools and mean it. The outcome, whatever, would mean no longer having to deal with it.
“…but one father, whose three-year-old boy is a pupil…”
Do children start school that early these days? I started school when I was five years old. And yes, I was using the toilet independently, as were all the other children in the class. I’m not sure we would all have coped at three years old though.
I was on plane to Joburg last year, and witnessed something I’ve never seen before, and I could see and sense people around me thinking the same.
The front row in the middle of the plane is reserved for people with children, against the front wall there is a desk of some sort where you can perhaps change nappies or something. I pity the young couple sitting there who were accompanied by a muslim woman with a child.
I say a child, what I mean is, looked like a 6 or 7 year old boy. Wasn’t a spastic, but still needed nappies and stuff little babies need. Is this a cultural thing?
One row behind the mother was this old Boer lady who was drinking pinotage like there was no tomorrow and she was getting irritated and belligerent. Can’t blame her, or judge, luckily I don’t drink alcohol on a plane.
I was so lucky to sit 3 rows behind them with this South American Andes indian mother and daughter, you know those people with colourful ponchos and black wide-brimmed hats? They were so nice and what a contrast it was compared to the shit-show in the front.
I sometimes see a father and son of Asian appearance at the gym after the kids have had their swimming lessons. No nappies involved but the dad dresses the kid who looks to be six or seven years old. Maybe there is a reason why a kid of that age is unable to dress himself, maybe it is a cultural thing?
Or an inbreeding thing, which is an aspect of “culture” apparently.
When my eldest son was less than 12 months old, I was caring for him while my wife was at the hairdressers. We were in our old home town where my mother worked in a local cafe so I popped in to see her and have a cup of coffee. It became apparent that his nappy was soaking and needed changing, so without thinking about it I changed it using the chair next to me as a changing mat. When I looked up I found that all the rest of the female staff in the cafe were standing with open mouths as they had no idea that a man was capable of doing such a thing and had never seen it before. Both our sons were potty trained by 2 and reliably dry at night by 3 years old. I find it incredible that normal children of school age should still be wearing nappies
My wife was a little unwell when my daughter was first born so I got thrown in at the deep end a bit. Changing nappies can be a bit messy and unpleasant sometimes but it’s hardly rocket science.
Children had to be potty trained before they went to play groups at the age of 3. When Terry bappies were used a child could feel it was wet or soiled and uncomfortable, they soon learnt going in the potty was preferable. Trouble these days are lazy parents and these terrible pull up pants. If a child is put in these they become lazy as well. As for disabled children in schools, perhaps go back to special schools where they can be properly catered for.
Back in the late 70s when I trained as a child nurse, as soon as a baby was fed a potty was held under its bottom and if did a wee, praised up. When they could sit on their own, they always sat on a potty after being fed for a while. This meant they had no fear of a potty and caught on quickly what it was for. Most were potty trained by 2, accidents occur but that’s growing up. Perhaps the parents should pay a nanny to be at the school to attend their child’s needs. They might start doing their job as parents properly.
I agree mostly agree with you, but there are certain exceptions.
My eldest is autistic, has ADHD and is learning disabled with a mental age of about 7 when he is actually 26.
He is still learning and developing even now.
He could not speak and was in nappies until he was 7.
I cannot tell you the effort he put in to help him. Experts never thought he would master speech but we have got him there and now he rarely shuts up.
I appreciate changing nappies might not be for you but some of the most dedicated and wonderful teachers I have ever know did it for my boy when he needed it. I will be eternally grateful to them and those who help us support him now.
Typo “we put in” not “ he put in”
I think the problem is not children with disabilities as the school has money to pay for classroom assistants to help cater for their needs. I saw a few reports about Bristol schools who were struggling with the problem of children not being potty trained. They ran a summer school called the potty train to get children potty trained in a fun way before they started school. Not heard if it was successful.
I work with adults with learning disabilities, most are autistic, so I agree with you that they can learn, but it takes time. I’m glad your boy has got on so well.
I do blame companies that push these pull up pants as they do not help children get potty trained. They are useful if you are going on a long journey or at night, but much better to put a child in proper underwear and accept there will be a few accidents.